The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) are transducer proteins belonging to the steroid/thyroid/retinoid receptor superfamily. The PPARs were originally identified as orphan receptors without known ligands, but were known for their ability to mediate the pleiotropic effects of fatty acid peroxisome proliferators. These receptors function as ligand-regulated transcription factors that control the expression of target genes by binding to their responsive DNA sequences as heterodimers with RXR. The target genes encode enzymes involved in a number of metabolic and cell growth/cell proliferation/cell differentiation inductions. These then provide targets for the development of therapeutic agents for the treatment of metabolic and central nervous system disorders, among others.
PPAR agonists are well known and have been described in the prior art, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,995 to De La Brouse-Elwood et. al.; WO 03/043997 to Johnston et. al. and WO 01/00603 and WO 02/092590 to Keil et. al.). Compounds comprising an oxadiazolone feature as inhibitors of factor Xa were disclosed in DE 101 12 768 A1 and oxodiazolones have also been described as oral hypoglycemic agents in WO 96/13264.
The present invention then, comprises compounds which provide therapeutic variable moderation of lipid and/or carbohydrate metabolism and are thus suitable for the prevention and/or treatment of diseases such as type-2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and the diverse disease states that are a result thereof. Another purpose of the invention is to treat neurodegenerative diseases and/or demyelinating disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems and/or neurological diseases involving inflammation of the central nervous system and/or other peripheral neuropathies.